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METHOD AND MEANS FOR MANIPULATNG WIRE FORMED IMPLEMENTS Filed July v29, 1358 16 Sheets-Sheet 14 l Carlloeer e BY AmRN May 27, 1941- F. M. cLAuss ETAL 2,243,813'

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EEES- INVENmRs: ELedrnch/ Maw Klauss Cari lae Large) Patented May 27, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND MEANS FOR MANIPULATING WERE FORMED IMPLEMENTS Application July 29, 1938, Serial No. 221,900

35 Claims.

This invention relates to the method of, and means for, adjusting the positions of elements, as for presentation to an element working machine, and particularly to the adjustment of elongated elements, such as the blanks of needle like loop manipulating implements of knitting machines, about the longitudinal blank axes, and the insertion and withdrawal of the blanks relative to the device for eiecting such adjustment.

One object of the invention is to provide the novel method of, and novel apparatus for, setting elongated metal blanks each having a portion to be adjusted as -to a given lengthwise position, and angular position about the longitudinal axis thereof, for presentation to -a mechanism for operation thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism adapted to eliminate hand feeding in presenting elements, such as grooved needle blanks, to machines for operation thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus, and the method, whereby .the rate of feed of blanks, as above set forth, may be accelerated, to increase the output of such apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide the method of, and apparatus for, adjusting an elongated element or blank to a predetermined angular position -about its longitudinal axis, by cooperation with an element or means on the blank locally disposed in a peripheral zone about said axis adapting the method and apparatus to such adjustment.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for rapidly transferring elongated elements or blanks from means for positioning the elements to means for working on the elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide the novel method of, and novel apparatus for, withdrawing individual elongated metal blanks from a bulk supply in accidental crosswise angular position and feeding the blanks to a positioning means adapted to successively turn each blank about its longitudinal axis to a predetermined crosswise angular position.

Still another object of Ithe invention is to provide the novel method of, and novel apparatus for, transferring elongated blanks from means for adjusting the positions of the blanks about the longitudinal axes thereof to means for effecting working operations thereon, and whereby the adjusted positions of the blanks are maintained in transit.

A further object of the invention is to provide the novel method of, and novel apparatus for, withdrawing individual elongated metal blanks from a. bulk supply in accidental crosswise angular position, feeding the blanks to a positioning means adapted to successively adjust each blank about its longitudinal axis to a predetermined crosswise angular position, and successively transferring each blank so positioned from the positioning means to means for effecting working operations thereon and maintaining each blank in its adjusted position in transit.

Further objects of the invention will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, operating steps, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts exemplied in the device hereinbelow described, and the scope of the application of which is indicated in the accompanying drawings, specication and claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a View, in side elevation, of mechanism produced in accordance with one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, taken from the right of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevation taken from the left of Fig. 2, and showing certain mechanism on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 'l--l of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a detail section taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged View of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10, with certain of the parts in different positions;

Fig. 12 is a sectional View taken on the line |2-I2 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken on the line I3-I3 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away to show certain elements lying behind the line of section;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken on the line lil-I4 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line I5-l5 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 16 is a sectional view taken on the line lli-I6 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 17 is a sectional view taken on the line l'l-l'l of Fig. 12;

Fig. 18 is an elevational view of the drum actuating mechanism shown in dotted lines in Fig. 12;

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary view of certain parts shown in Fig. 12 taken in a diierent vertical plane;

Fig. 20 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 20--20 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 21 is a plan View illustrating the relation between the devices of Figs. 2 and 20, and also showing means for operating on metal blanks, parts being broken away;

Fig. 22 is a view similar to Fig. 21 showing the parts in different relative positions;

Fig. 23 is an elevation of parts appearing in Fig. 21, certain parts being omitted and others being broken away;

Fig. 24 is an enlarged detail view taken on the line 24-24 of Fig. 23;

Fig. 25 is a fragmentary plan View of the parts immediately related to the angular positioning of the blank, the parts being in positions intermediate those of Figs. 2l and 22;

Figs. 26 and 26A to 29 and 29A, inclusive, are composite views diagrammatically illustrating several steps in the positioning of the needle blank, Figs. 26A, 27A, 28A and 29A showing certain of the parts, as viewed in Fig. 2, and Figs. 26, 27, 28, and 29, which are in greatly enlarged cross-section and are similar to Fig. 10, illustrating the positions of certain of the elements at the right of the figures;

Fig. 30 is an elevational View of a modiiied form of the invention;

Fig. 31 is an end elevational view taken from the left of Fig. 30, a portion of the structure being broken away;

Fig. 32 is a perspective view of certain of the elements at the topmost central portion of Fig. 30, slightly enlarged relative thereto;

Fig. 33 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 33-33 of Fig. 34;

Fig. 34 is a cross-sectional View taken substantially along the line 34-34 of Fig. 30;

Fig. 35 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 35-35 of Fig. 34;

Fig. 36 is a sectional view taken along the line 36-36 of Fig. 31; and

Figs. 37 and 37A to 40 and 40A, inclusive, are

composite views, respectively, similar to Figs. 26, to 29A, inclusive, of the modified form of the invention.

Our invention includes the method of, and means for, both inserting and turning, or receiving and turning, into a predetermined angular position about its longitudinal axis, a blank including an element or holding surface providing for the automatic or semi-automatic adjustment of the blank to such position. Such holding surface or element may be a grooved portion of the surface of the blank adapted to receive a spring pressed linger, or a projection adapted to engage a dog or finger, between which and the blank there exists a condition of relative rotation, or a roughened strip adapted to engage a dog or finger having a'roughened surface, or any of various other equivalents to resist relative turning movement between the blank and the means for turning it. Our apparatus has therefore, in one form, a rotatable member adapted to receive one end of an elongated blank, the rotatable member having associated therewith means adapted to permit the blank to turn with respect thereto, when the blank is held against rotation, but adapted to turn the blank positively against a force tending to restrain its rotation when the turning means arrives at a denite angular relation to the blank, and has also means for turning the rotatable member through a certain angle more than a complete revolution when the blank has only a single element or means on its periphery at a local position thereabout having a holding surface or equivalent means. In case a blank has a plurality of such means locally about its periphery, it is necessary that the plurality of such local means be uniformly spaced around the periphery of the blank, and the minimum angular relative rotation between the blank and the rotating means permitted is 360, divided by the number of holding surfaces or elements disposed locally around the periphery of the blank. Also, the means for producing relative rotation between the blank and the co-operating means includes means for stopping the blank in a given angular position about its longitudinal axis.

Although it is within the invention that the blanks may be inserted into, and removed from, the positioning mechanism by hand, and may thereupon, be transferred by hand to the machine for doing work thereon, or to a mechanical means for transferring the blank to the working machine, the invention also includes mechanical means for applying force to the blank to oppose its rotation by the positioning means, and means for inserting the blank into, and withdrawing it from, the rotatable member of the positioning means, as well as means for transferring the blank from the positioning means to the working machine. Such auxiliary means may be provided in connection with the positioning means, and one additional mechanism of simple character.

While it is within our invention that a blank may be presented by hand in position to be thrust into the positioning means by an automatic arrangement, we prefer to feed the blanks one at a time from a bulk supply into position to be taken into the positioning means and have disclosed and claimed a novel method and mechanism for this purpose.

The particular apparatus in accordance with the invention which is illustrated in the drawings is designed to operate on partially formed blanks for making knitting machine needles of the bearded type, the blanks having been grooved and reduced at one end to a very small gauge section of a length suitable for forming the beards.

While the press is illustrated in general and we do not make any claim of invention as to the press per se in this application, certain parts of the press are shown as cooperating in a novel manner with novel parts provided by us.

Forming part of the apparatus shown is a positioning means including a hollow head l of generally cylindrical outline mounted to traverse in a guideway 2 cut in the vertical face of a plate 3 and having reentrant or guiding edges 4 and 5 for supporting the weight of the head l by means of a Wedge shaped extensionV 6 (Fig. 4) extending upwardly and laterally from the upper part of such head. A key 4a between the guiding edge 4 and the extension 6 is shown for assisting in holding the extension 6 in the desired position in head I. The traversing action of head I in one direction is motivated from a main cam shaft 1 by means of cam B (Figs. 3, 4 and 6) at one end thereof which lies above and bears against a roller 9 journaled at point 9a on a lever I so as to press the lever downward during a portion of its rotation. The lever I0 is pivoted, at one end, to the end of a xed pin II, by a screw and washer connection IIa. 'I'he other end of the lever I0 has an aperture I2 to receive a stem I3, the upper end of which is threaded to a connecting rod I4, and the lower end of which is provided with a ball I seated in a hemispherical socket in the lower face of the lever IU. The upper end of the rod I4 has a threaded connection with a stem I6, which extends upwardly, through an aperture I1 in an arm I8 (Figs. 2 and 5). The upper face of arm I8 has a socket, in which is received a ball I9 xed to the upper end of the stem I6. Nuts I3a and IGa, on stems I3 and I6, respectively, are for fixing the stems in position relative to the rod I4. Downward motion, transmitted from cam 8 to the arml I8, through lever I0 and rod I4, turns a shaft 20, which is secured to the arm I8, in its bearing in a bracket 2I on block 3, and thereby turns an arm 22 which is fixed to the other end of the shaft 20. The lower free end of the arm 22 (Figs. 2 and 5) carries a roller 23 pivoted thereon, which is in bearing contact with plates held by lugs 24, integral with the head I. The rocking of the arm 22 by the cam 8 therefore traverses the head I in the guide 2, to the right, as viewed in Fig. 5.

The return stroke or traverse of head I is caused by a spring 8a. (Figs. 2 and 5) which is seated in a socket in a block 3a, forming part of the frame work of the machine and lying in contact with plate 3. The thrust of spring 8a is transmitted to head I through a pin 3b which slides in a socket of the spring 8a, and bears, at one end, against the spring and, at the other end, against a socket in an `arm I8a xed to the shaft 2D, at the same end as the arm I8, to form a bell-crank therewith. The spring 8a is under enough initial compression to hold pin 8b firmly against arm I8a and is further compressed when the cam 8 throws head I to the right. The spring therefore expands to throw head I to the left as soon as permitted by the contour of the revolving cam 8.

The positioning means of which head I forms a part is adapted to predetermine the crosswise angular position of an elongated metallic blank and includes rotating parts associated with said head. Within the head I is a hollow spindle 25 (Fig. 8) journaled therein and held against longitudinal motion with relation thereto by means of a pin 26 which has a head 21 within a recess of corresponding form within the spindle 25 and is xed axially of the spindle by means of a collar 28 threaded into a counterbored opening in the end of spindle 25 and arranged to contact one of the flat sides of the head 21. The pin 26 is xed to a plate 29 covering one end of the head I by means of a cross-pin 30. Plate 29 is fastened to the end of the head I by means of a set of screws 3I.

The spindle 25 carries within it a means for engaging and turning a blank which it is desired to bring into a predetermined crosswise angular position. Such means is illustrated as comprising a tube 32 seated in the spindle 25 and extending into it from the right end thereof as viewed in Fig. 8. Tube 32 is fixed axially of spindle 25 by means of a screw 33 extending radially through the spindle 25 into a recess in the tube 32. When the parts are in assembled position screw 33 is prevented from working loose by the fact that its outer end is covered by the head I. The tube 32 has a longitudinal groove 34 therein within which is mounted a lever 35 pivoted on a pin 36 and having at its right end a radial projection 31 designed to t into a groove 38 (Fig. l0) in a needle blank 39 which is held coaxially within the spindle 25. For supporting the blank 39 in position to be engaged by the projection 31, there is provided a small inner tube including a portion 40 having an aperture coaxial with the axis of rotation of the spindle 25 and the tube 32 and which is held in xed angular position in the tube 32 by means of a set screw 4I, which is prevented from working loose when the parts are in assembled position by the fact that the outer end of screw 4I is covered by tube 25. The inner tube portion 4I) has a radial slot 42 therein so positioned as to receive the projection 31 and to permit it to reach the central bore of the inner tube portion 40 and to enter the groove 38 in the blank 39 whenever the plane of the projection 31 has been turned to coincide with that of the blank, provided the blank 39 has been pressed into the axial opening in the inner tube portion 49 to the proper extent so that the groove 38 in the blank overlaps the projection 31 in the axial direction. For determining the proper axial position of the blank 39 for this purpose we prefer to provide a block 43 which is pressed into an enlarged bore in tube 32 ahead of the inner tube portion 40 so that the block 43 comes up against a shoulder 44 formed at the junction of the enlarged bore and the remainder of the bore in the tube 32 whereby the block 43 forms a stop for the end of the blank 39 which has been inserted in the axial bore of the inner tube portion 40. Preferably, we form the inner tube in two parts or portions 4U and 40a. having coaxial apertures therein. Tube portion 40a has la small bore, adjacent to the block 43, to accommodate and hold the smaller end of blank 39, and the bore of part 40a. is enlarged at its juncture 4Gb with the bore of part 40 to avoid ya shoulder on which the small end of the blank might catch. The lever 35 projects along the groove 34, to the left of the block 43, and is acted on by a spring 46 in such a way as to thrust the projection 31 into engagement with a blank 39 in the apertured tube 48. As illustrated, the spring 46 is held in a hole drilled lalong a diameter of the tube 32, and presses against the inner edge of the lever 35, spring 46 being held in position by the inner face of spindle 25.

Blank 39 is thrust into the parts 40 and 40a in any angular relation to the vertical. To position the blank 39 in a predetermined angular relation, the spindle 32 is rotated, while the blank 39 is held against rotation by its end outside the spindle, until the projection 31 is positioned over the groove 38. The spring 4S thereupon forces the projection 31 into the groove, and further rotation of the spindle 25 carries the blank therealong until the spindle is stopped at a i'lxed angular position, thereby placing the blank in .a predetermined position.

Although theoretically, a 360 turn of the spindle 25 is sufhcient, and may -be practically suicient in certain cases, to avoid possible `discrepancies in construction and operation, or the results of lost motion, such as lback lash of gear wheels, and the like, the spindle, in this instance, is turned one and a quarter revolutions, as a margin of safety, or leeway, in which to operate, which degree :of angular motion need not be exact, except as to its stopping position, and may vary several degrees either way. The initial positions of the spindle 25, zand the projection 31, are Ishown in Figs. 10, 26 and 27 the groove 38 lying in tube portion in any accidental or indenite angular position which it may assume. The spindle 25 next rotates 450, to the position shown in Figs. 11, 28 and 29 thereby, in the first 360, necessarily inserting the projection 31 in groove 38, and in the next 90 carrying the blank 39 along, so that its groove faces downward. To rotate the spindle 25, for the vpurpose mentioned, a gear segment 41 (Figs. 1 and 4) may be provided, the teeth lof which cooperate with gear teeth 48 on the spindle 25 (Fig. 9), the lower portion of the head I being :cut away for a portion of the length of the head (Fig. 5) to provide for engagement of the gear segment 41 with the teeth on the spindle.

The gear segment 41 is carried at the upper end yof an arm 41a, pivoted on a pin 49, 4and rocked about its pivot by .-a link 50 pivoted, at one end, to the lever 41a and, at its other end, to the upper end of a lever 5|, the lower end of which is lpivoted, coaxially with the lever I0, on the -pivot pin I I. The lower end of lever 5I is held against sliding lengthwise of pin II, by collars IIb, Fig. 6. The lever 5I is rocked, in one direction on its pivot, by a `cam 52, -as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, to swing the gear segment 41, through a definite arc, suflicient to turn the spindle 25 more than 360, to thereby move the spindle 25 to a predetermined angular position.

The 4cam 52 is shaped such that the gear segment 41 dwells for a certain length of time at the end of the stroke given it by the cam 52, so that the spindle 25, and `a blank held thereby, are brought to a. stop in a certain predetermined angular lposition, and held there for the blank to be withdrawn from the spindle.

As will appear more fully hereinbelow, the blank 39 is withdrawn from spindle 25 by holding it stationary during one of the traversing movements of the head I in which the spindle 25 is mounted. The return -stroke of the lever 5I, the link 50, and the arm 41a is effected by a spring 53, which is fixed, at one end, to the upper part of the lever 5I and, at its other end, to a pin 54 on the frame of the machine.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings ni cludes a means for cooperating with the traversing `action of the head I both in introducing a blank into the spindle 25 of the positioning means and in withdrawing it therefrom. Such means as shown also grips one end of the :blank while the other end is in the positioning means so Aas to provide a yielding resistance to the turning action of the spindle :and the engaging means therein, as well as to transport the blank to the working means after it has been positioned and withdrawn from the positioning means. The arrangement illustrated for carrying out such functions comprises an arm mounted to oscillate in a vertical plane rabout an axis 56 (Fig. 24) Arm 55 has a linger 51 thereon pressed .against one face of the `arm 55 by a leaf spring 51a, said iinger and spring being shown as on the upper face of the arm when the free end of the arm is nearest the spindle 25 of the positioning means. An elongated metal blank such as 39 being held near the end lof the arm 55 and the finger 51 and immediately above the free end of the arm 55, as illustrated in Figs. 20 and 25, when the head I is traversed in the direction toward the yarm 55, the finger 51 presses against the larger end of the blank 39 and forces the other yend thereof into the spindle as far as permitted by the stop 43 as shown in Fig. 8. When the small end of the blank strikes the block 43 however, the larger end of the blank is then thrust under the finger 51 so that the blank is gripped ,between the finger and the arm 55 to apply a restraining force thereto resisting the turning of the blank about its longitudinal axis. As appears in Fig. 21, arm 55 has la shallow groove 55a therein to receive blank 39 and to help retain the blank 39 in proper position thereon and to increase the grip of the larm and finger 51 on the blank. The angular fposition of the groove 38 of blank 39, with respect to the spindle 25 and the arm 55, is entirely accidental when initially pressed into the spindle 25, as in Figs. 10 and 25. In general, the groove 38 of the blank 39 will not lie in the same plane as the projection 31. By the time the spindle 25 has turned somewhat, and necessarily by the time spindle 25 has made -a complete revolution, the projection 31 is brought into the same plane as the groove 38, because the blank is held against rotation by the finger 51 and arm 55 whenever the projection 31 is not engaged with the groove 38. The projection is then forced into such groove, as shown in Fig. 11, by spring 46. After the projection 31 enters the groove 38, the -blank is forcibly turned, in unison with the spindle, until they both reach a given angular position. The head I is moved by the spring 8a in the opposite direction to the travel of the head I when the blank entered the spindle 25; the blank 39 is Withdrawn from the spindle by the grip had thereon by the arm 55 and finger 51 coincident with this loperation Iof the head I by the spring 8a.. The arm 55 is thereupon swung through an arc, from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 25 to the position shown in Fig. 22, to carry the blank 39 to a press 58 or other means for working the same, the finger 51 and arm 55 however continuing to grip it to prevent it from twisting on its longitudinal axis so that it arrives `at the press in -a desired predetermined angular position. The means for oper-ating arm 55, and its adjuncts, will be described in detail hereinafter.

If the transfer arm 55 is omitted, the functions of this arm can be supplied by the hand of the operator who can readily hold the butt'of the blank 39 while on a feeding means to force the blank into the spindle 25, and to apply a restraining pressure thereon during the positioning action of the spindle. Each of the three main devices, the blank positioning means, the transfer arm and the blank feeding means, hereinafter described, enables the speed of the press to be increased. The transfer arm 55 is therefore an important feature of the invention.

In the arrangement shown, the segmental gear 41 has a suicient number of teeth thereon to rotate the spindle 25 one and one quarter revolutions, at each throw of the lever 41a, and the parts are so related that the spindle is stopped with the groove 38 in the needle blank facing directly r downward at the end of the positioning movement of the spindle 25. The swing of the lever 55, through a vertical arc, thereby delivers the needle blank to the press 58, with the groove 38 therein facing upwardly, the position in which the needle blank is received by a press.

The press 58 (Figs. 21 and 22) includes a reciprocable blank holding member or finger 59 that is adapted and arranged to hold the needle on 'the bed of the press in the position in which 

